May 22, 2008

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Eventually, some outrageous comment from John Hagee would surface and the McCain camp would throw in the towel and rid themselves of the (miniature) albatross that the Texas megachurch pastor has become.

Sure enough, a website set up to challenge religious conservatives got hold of a sermon Hagee gave in the late-90s where he suggested that the Nazis were sent by God to ensure the birth of Israel.

Which brought forth the enough-is-enough statement from McCain:

“Obviously, I find these remarks and others deeply offensive and indefensible, and I repudiate them. I did not know of them before Rev. Hagee's endorsement, and I feel I must reject his endorsement as well."

McCain went on to point out that, unlike a certain Democratic rival, he hadn't actually gone to Hagee's church.

No, but he did seek, accept and not reject for months an endorsement that ultimately brought him more headaches than anything else.

UPDATE: Hagee also issued a statement today, effectively admitting he had become a distraction and taking back his endorsement.

Ever since I endorsed John McCain for president, people seeking to attack Sen. McCain have combed my records for statements they can use for political gain. They have had no qualms about grossly misrepresenting my position on issues most near and dear to my heart if it serves their political ambitions.

I am tired of these baseless attacks and fear that they have become a distraction in what should be a national debate about important issues. I have therefore decided to withdraw my endorsement of Sen. McCain for president effective today, and to remove myself from any active role in the 2008 campaign.

I hope that the Sen. McCain will accept this withdrawal so that he may focus on the issues that are most important to America and the world.

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This election is veering into the ridiculous. At this rate no serious issue is going to be discussed...just crap after crap after crap. Wright this, Hagee that, Pant suit this, Muslim that....God I wish we were a parliamentary democracy.

And Joe Lieberman more than backed him up on that:
"He is a Ish Elokim, a man of God and those words really fit him...like Moses he's become a leader of a mighty multitude, even greater than the multitude that Moses led from Egypt to the promised land."

Maybe McCain didn't reject the endorsement because he didn't know Hagee had made such remarks.

That's probably because he didn't go to that church, and Hagee was not his pastor, didn't perform his marriage or baptize his children, and didn't provide him with the inspiration and title for one of his books.

Another gimmick from the trophy senator--this time he was desperate to have his name mentioned in the news. To late to stem the desertion by various demographics, we have the video of the Hagee-McCain hug.

I hope McCain learns not to listen to advisers who tell him these wackos need to be brought into the fold. I bet average Evangelicals don't even know who Hagee is except for seeing his fat mug on tv while flipping through channels.

This raises serious questions about John McCain. Taking him at his word that the McCain camp didn't vet Hagee, what does this tell us about his values? We don't really know that much about John McCain's faith. What Church does he belong to, and why is he so clueless about the Evangelical movement?
If this was meant to be the type of Dick Nixon trick of backing away from somebody controversial, it's not going to work. Conservatives will realize that this guy doesn't know what he stands for. Independents will realize that there is a lot we don't know about John McCain, and he will really need to introduce himself.

A classic exchange between Sean Hannity and John McCain:...
HANNITY: He's been -- but he's been going to the church for 20 years. His pastor -- the church gave a lifetime achievement award to one of the biggest racists and anti-Semites in the country, Louis Farrakhan. Would you go to a church that -- where your pastor supported Louis Farrakhan?
MCCAIN: Obviously, that would not be my choice. But I do know Sen. Obama. He does not share those views.

CLASSIC - McCain didn't sit in Hagees' church for 20 years, but he sure as hell solicited his endorsement, openly accepted it and defended it for the past few months -- none of which Obama did with Rev Wright, yes he attended his church for 20 years but he doesn't share his views on America or 9-11... he worshiped God in his church. McCain is starting this GE off on a bad note and he better watch out!

I agree McCain should have found out more about this Hagee person. Wow that stuff on the link is something else. I think he equates Hilter as God given punishment or at least the whole holocaust was planned and approved centuries ago by God. That is terrible!!!

Why am I in the same party with these people? I don't think they know anything about God. What did I think I had in common with them again?

I guess half this universe should reject their mothers. I'm sure she said some defensive things! I am so glad that I am intelligent. Go back to school and learn something positive. #1 there isn't anybody of the face of this earth better than I. We are equal and always will be until someone could prove that they are superior, do some GOD like tricks that would impress me. If you shi# and Pis# like me then wer'e equal!!!!!

The problem with McCain seeking out endorsements from Pastors Haggee and Parsley is that they were "political endorsements" whereas Rev. Wright is just a pastor. We all know that a lot of times our church life doesn't reflect our political life, but it concerns me that McCain sought these men for political not spiritual reasons. Does he believe Parsley when he says "...the US was created to destroy Islam..." Is that why he can nonchalantly sing bomb Iran?

Let me get this straight, so McCain goes after Obama for Ayers even though Obama did not solicit or accept his endorsement and Ayers didn't offer it, while McCain sought the endorsement of this lunatic Hagee, who is well known for radical views, wins the Repub nom and then dumps him. Dumped him like his lobbyist buddies only after winning the repub nom. Didn't McCain also dump his wife after she was in an accident, and he met the millionare younger woman? Man of Honor?

Perhaps this will put all this nonesense to rest. I am deeply dissapointed in John McCain - I saw him as a viable option for a long time for his warmth and humility, but of late he has turned a corner and embraced a way of politicking many of us find primitive, non-productive and harmful to the American endeavor.
When McCain accepted Hagee's endoresment thousands of us knew of Haggee's past comments - why didn't McCain?
Obama was trying his best to protect a friend who went over board and said some horrible things. McCain had no personal attachement to Haggee except for political reasons.
www.avocadojungle.com

Maybe next cycle everyone will begin to realize that it's best to keep your religion and your politics separate. It simply serves no purpose for these religious leaders to endorse candidates and the candidates should not seek the endorsements.

mossy, you can't be serious. You're describing Obama, not McCain. Obama defended Wright for months. Wright was like a father to Obama, and bestowed upon him the values that a father normally bestows upon his charges -- values, virtues and character.

Being confronted with this sermon, McCain had to reject him, just as Obama had to reject Wright once he heard the sermons that he hadn't previously known anything about.

And to think McCain actually stood up for Obama's views against Wright's craziness.

Robert your right about McCain's connection being only political. And these crazies are part of the Republican party but we have got to stop taking them so seriously and start calling them out when they preach completely anti-semitic things. Do they support Isreal or not. I think they hate jews from what I read. This just a puzzel.

HM, McCain did repudiate the New Orleans statements and the Catholic stuff. And Hagee was forced to appologize. There is always tension between Catholics and Protestants that is the whole purpose of Protestants.

But this stuff about the genocide of millions of people as though it was a good thing! That is just beyond the pale!

mrj, this tells us that WE DON'T KNOW much about about John McCain's values. McCain might be just another Washington politician who doesn't know or care about religious people, but just wanted to line up a few warm bodies. Or he could be somebody who seriously believes what Hagee said. It's hard to know, because eight years ago he called people like Hagee AGENTS OF INTOLERANCE. What this tells a religious person like myself is that McCain thinks he's better than me, and that he needs to pander for my vote.

Yeah, Hagee is a nutter and Wright a traitor. And, oh yeah, Obamam knew that Wright was a nutter for 20 years. Does anyone know who McCain's pastor is anyhow? Not the other guy, what's his name < Parsley . I thought that was an herb. When Politico goes out of its way to play 'gotcha' on pastors for McCain since Obama has been mentored by a real un-American nutter, we know that the MSM is well here on this site. Martin is supposed to produce columns dealing with Pub politics and seems to put all of Obama's campaign propaganda on as a substitute for what Pubs are doing nationally. Just another MSM flacker.

There were two ways Hagee might have explained his position on Hitler, the Jews and the Holocaust. One, the way he did, in which God is made to seem the efficient cause of the Holocaust itself, and, two, way it really was, in which human beings, not God, caused the Holocaust and God provided a refuge for what was left of European Jewry in the land of Israel. This later interpretation would be the one you'd hear in most Christian circles, as its completely and utterly consistent with the pattern of the Cross. But not John Hagee. For Hagee and for not just a few other Evangelicals as well, God would seem so to despise human freedom as to make every human act one of his own. The apology Hagee needs to make it to God, not to the Jews. The Jews are simply likely to take him for a schlemeil. Hagee's mistake is to be found in his embrace of an errand theology, one which always seems to lead him into swamps of this kind. McCain, on the other hand, is just posturing and that has been particularly characteristic of the man since his birth. He needs to apologize to the world.

McCain knew Hagee's words before he sought out his support - but now he throws Hagee under the bus when the public notice that he's aligned himself with bigots?
At least have the moral fortitude to stick with your bigot, and not be some flip flopping lightweight.

Yes MRJ I can be serious... there is quite a difference in a man who goes to a church for 20 years and respects his Reverend enough to give him the benefit of the doubt before denouncing him than a man who solicits the ENDORSEMENT of a Pastor like Hagee. I don't agree with Rev Wright or Pastor Hagee, and I don't believe that Obama or McCain do either, but I feel that since McCain sought out Hagee's endorsement and welcomed it with open arms, it is a little late for him to repudiate it now. I also feel his comment about sitting in a church for 20 years aimed at Obama today is going to come back and bite him in the ass because he sat there with Sean Hannity and said he knows Senator Obama and knows that he doesn't share Rev Wright's views. NOW

Didn't mean to put the NOW at the end of my post, wasn't actually finished. Either way... MRJ, we know you don't like Obama and believe he used his community service for 'street cred', joined his church for political reasons (which makes NO SENSE AT ALL)blah, blah, blah. Why don't you, instead of wasting time, just type I HATE Anti-Obamites that post on here?

Now I hear McCain is bashing Hillary and Barak on their military service. Is this guy all there. Did they not try the swift-boat thing in a prior election. This guy is an idiot on global level. I respect his military record, but I have a PhD and served in the United States Marine Corps. Having military experience does not mean you can run a country. Does it mean you can work in a collective mentality? Yes, it does. My grandmother is 87 years old. She has her head screwed on tighter than this guy. I salute your past Senator McCain. As a civilian you are not leadership material.

Hagee has ALWAYS been a controversial pastor. He has always said things that are anti-Gay, anti- Catholic and now people are realizing that he is NOT pro Israel. He has always thougt that the end of the world was coming and that Jews would convert to Christianity. Does anybody really think that McCain didn't know how controversial Hagee was??? Of corse he knew, but he needs to reach out to the Mega Churches for their political support. And didn't McCain once say that no politician should pander to extreme religions for political purpuses? Does McCain ever keep his word?

Well, if you people would leave church out of politics McCain wouldn't have had to go pandering to Hagee. You have let the party become one of creationists and southern strategists. Too bad more people haven't woken up to this.

Jarhead, I think the point was that Obama had cast aspersions on McCain's motives pertaining to the G.I. Bill today, and that Obama's military-service-free past didn't qualify him to assess McCain's feelings toward the military or vets.

Also, Obama smarmily implied McCain didn't want to take care of vets, when clearly, he supported the alternative to Webb's bill that did the same.

And Obama knew that. Intellectual honesty is not his strong suit.

McCain didn't say military service means you're qualified to be President, by any stretch of the imagination.

The question of military service as it relates to qualifying to be President never came up in either ones' remarks.

Jarhead, I think the point was that Obama had cast aspersions on McCain's motives pertaining to the G.I. Bill today, and that Obama's military-service-free past didn't qualify him to assess McCain's feelings toward the military or vets.

Also, Obama smarmily implied McCain didn't want to take care of vets, when clearly, he supported the alternative to Webb's bill that did the same.

And Obama knew that. Intellectual honesty is not his strong suit.

McCain didn't say military service means you're qualified to be President, by any stretch of the imagination.

The question of military service as it relates to qualifying to be President never came up in either ones' remarks.

Republican Strategists Say Bush is Hurting Party
Political Wire recently obtained a memo from Republican pollster David Johnson of Strategic Vision and GOP fundraiser Holly Robichaud to the House Republican Leadership.
The memo explores the reasons that the Republican brand is at such a low standing and essentially concludes that Democrats have successfully equated President Bush with the word Republican very much as the Democrats did with Herbert Hoover and the Republican Party. The authors argue that unless House Republican leaders visibly break from the President, the Party will be in the minority for the next ten years and could lose between twenty to thirty House seats.

So McBush, you decline to go to the summit to talk about your beliefs you denounce the religious right and one of their prominent ministers and you choose to collect cash and prepare for the cookout instead of supporting our troops and your fellow vets.....mmmmm sounds Bushy to me!
Is there any way you could come and play for my softball team, you are servin' up right now McBush...thanks....
wwc=whiteworkingclass

Let me guess...The comments by Pastor Hagee,and Parseley don't bother people,but Obama sitting in that hate filled church for 20 years bothers EVERYBODY? Sound about right? Yeah,who cares if McCain SOUGHT out there endorsements,and who cares if Hagee called the Catholic church THE GREAT WHORE,and who cares if Hagee said HITLER was a hunter of the JEWS for god. None of that should effect anyones vote for McCain right?

So, either McCain is a liar or a fool. Either he did the research (or an aide for the campaign did) and knows what kind of man Hagee is and continued to seek his endorsement anyway, in which case he is a liar (or his aide doesn't know what the internet is). OR he is a fool, blindly seeking endorsement, not a persons vote but public endorsement, from someone with whom he had no contact at all. At that point - if the basis of seeking endorsement has nothing to do with the content of the person or organizations character - why not seek the endorsement of the leader of the Neo-Nazis, or Ku Klux Klan? Wait...third option...senility.

Honestly for some reason the Wright/Obama connection is important to me. I had no way to evaluate what Obama said. Now I do. ANd it looks like Obama is not coming from a very Pro-American place. If you can sit there and praise a man who Damns the country that is the best hope of the world there is just something wrong with the way you think.

I have known McCain so long it doesn't matter what some weirdo preacher says. Too bad he sought the endorsement but doesn't say anything at all about who McCain is.

anon@9:37pm,you mentioned Pro-American in reference to Obama/Wright. So you basically think Hagee/Parsley/McCain are Pro-American? Now if you don't want to vote for Obama,that's your right,but don't make it sound like the reason is because Obama is anti-American. I know the things Wright said offended a lot of people(including myself),but I've been lead to believe that service in the Marines would make you somewhat pro-American. Did Hagee or Parsley ever serve in the military? No? So what makes them sooo Pro-american(especially after hearing all the things they've said about Jews and Islamics)?

McCain's values are sound, and he has demonstrated them time and time again. There is no one campaigning who I trust more this election cycle. Read his books, and you can tell this is a man who's introspective, who examines himself, who's always learning. A far cry from "I have no doubts" and "You're doing a heckuva job, Brownie" Bush.

You sound like an honest and thoughtful person. I would urge you to read the books of the other candidates as well. You will find that the Democrats are also fielding an introspective and intellectually honest candidate this cycle.

Said McCain, "I did not know of them before Rev. Hagee's endorsement, and I feel I must reject his endorsement as well." __________________________________________________________________________ Never mind all the other horrible things McCain DID know Hagee has said, or that some of his closest comrades in the Senate have also been forced to bow and kiss the ring of Hagee. __________________________________________________________________________ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjMRgT5o-Ig __________________________________________________________________________ To pretend Hagee's endorsement is the extent of this man?s power and influence over the Senate is a gross misunderstanding of Hagee?s danger. __________________________________________________________________________ Forget Jeremiah Wright. Hagee hopes to pave the way to Armageddon, and he?s marshaling congressional support to get there. __________________________________________________________________________ This is a man whose misreading of Revelations leaves him believing that peace in the Middle East sorely postpones the end times and, more specifically, the Rapture. __________________________________________________________________________ Congressional support for his work is forming the most ludicrous hybrid of church and state. __________________________________________________________________________ Rejecting his endorsement isn?t enough. McCain has to say he has nothing at all to do with this man?s cause.

Good that McCain rejected them, but disgraceful that he felt the need to explicitly compare it Wright. Come on McCain, you actively sought out Hagee's POLITICAL endorsement well after he said all of that crazy stuff. His "support" for Israel amounts to fulfilling the Armegeddon prophecies that would end with the extermination of non-converted Jews. Such "support" for Israel is the thing that McCain said he admired about Hagee.

If anything, McCain's connection to Hagee is far more telling of his political leanings than Obama's connection to Wright. Hagee wants preemptive war with Iran. McCain says "bomb Iran" and takes a generally belligerent stance. Wright says "God damn America". Obama says "America has given me everything I have", "our best days are ahead of us", and "God bless America".

McCain said that he doesn't believe that Obama shares Wright's views, yet feels compelled to point out that he went to Trinity for 20 years, etc. What message is he trying to send? Does he even know? Seems like he's trying to take the high road and the low road at the same time. Sorry my friend, it's not going to work. Not this time.

Political Wire recently obtained a memo from Republican pollster David Johnson of Strategic Vision and GOP fundraiser Holly Robichaud to the House Republican Leadership.

The memo explores the reasons that the Republican brand is at such a low standing and essentially concludes that Democrats have successfully equated President Bush with the word Republican very much as the Democrats did with Herbert Hoover and the Republican Party. The authors argue that unless House Republican leaders visibly break from the President, the Party will be in the minority for the next ten years and could lose between twenty to thirty House seats.

'dont see why he neeeded to. Hagee was following scripture as hagee interpreted it... all mcCain had to say is their interpretatoin of the /Bible differs.
pastor wright was not using scripture...he was just spewing hatred and using Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton's names to sway his congregation to hate the Clintons and Whites in particular.
McC didnt attend Hagee's church for 20 years

CATHOLICS..JOHN MCSAME WAS AWARE THAT JOHN HAGEE CALLED YOUR RELIGION "THE WHORE". AND HE DID NOT GET RID OF HIM. HE ONLY GOT RID OF HIM FOR THE JEWISH ATTACK. I DON'T THINK THAT HE CARES ABOUT YOUR VOTE. YET YOU PLAN TO VOTE FOR HIM...I CAN'T FIGURE THIS OUT. EXPLAIN THIS TO ME.